Standing on the observation deck of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels is considering running for Congress and representing some 650,000 constituents in 11 counties.

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The potential 2009 mayoral election battle between Justin Nickels and Kevin Crawford never came off.

But, five years later, the two men said this week they are strongly considering competing for the same, larger political prize - the 6th Congressional District seat that will be vacant upon Tom Petri's retirement after serving as a U.S. Representative for 35 years.

In the summer of 2008, Nickels, just 21 but already in his second council term, said he would challenge Kevin Crawford, then in his 20th year as mayor, to be the city's chief executive. ...